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Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Aleppo-Butter Swirl
Red lentils, carrot, potato, tomato, cumin, and dried mint blend into a velvety pantry soup brightened with lemon and a warm Aleppo-pepper butter.
Budget Dinners
Egyptian Koshari with Crispy Onions & Garlic-Vinegar Sauce
Egypt's layered vegan comfort bowl combines cumin-scented lentils and rice, macaroni, chickpeas, spicy tomato sauce and a generous crown of crisp fried onions.
Directions
Coat and separate the onions
Toss the sliced onions with the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then shake off the excess in a colander. Separate the strands well; clumps steam instead of crisp.
Fry the onion crown
Heat the neutral oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-high to 350°F. Fry the onions in three batches for 5 to 7 minutes each, stirring often, until deep golden. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined tray and season lightly. They crisp as they cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons onion oil and cool the rest before discarding or straining for another savory use.
Parcook the lentils
Put the lentils in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until barely tender but still holding their shape. Drain thoroughly; they will finish with the rice.
Steam the lentil rice
Return the saucepan to medium heat with the reserved 2 tablespoons onion oil. Stir in the rice, drained lentils, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 cup water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and rest covered for 10 minutes, then fluff.
Simmer the tomato sauce
Meanwhile heat the olive oil in another saucepan over medium. Cook 3 cloves garlic, the coriander, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until thick enough to mound on a spoon; season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Make the garlic-vinegar daqqa
Combine the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves, remaining vinegar, 1/4 cup water and optional cayenne in a small saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes, then cool slightly. The sauce should taste sharp and garlicky; serve it separately so diners can season their own bowls.
Cook the pasta and warm the chickpeas
Boil the macaroni in well-salted water until just tender according to the package directions. Drain thoroughly. Fold the chickpeas into the hot tomato sauce for 3 minutes, or warm them separately if you want the platter's distinct layers to remain visible.
Layer the koshari platter
Spread the lentil rice across a broad warm platter. Add the macaroni, spoon the chickpeas and tomato sauce over the top, then cover generously with crisp onions. Finish with scallions and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Pass extra tomato sauce and garlic-vinegar daqqa at the table.
Why this works
Why it worksParcooking the lentils before steaming them with rinsed rice lets both components finish tender without the lentils collapsing or the rice becoming waterlogged.
Why it worksA light flour coating and small frying batches drive moisture from the onions quickly, creating the crisp, abundant topping that provides contrast to every soft layer.
Why it worksServing the hot tomato sauce and sharp garlic-vinegar daqqa separately preserves koshari's layered textures and lets each diner control heat and acidity.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on Amazon6-quart Dutch ovenA wide, heavy pot holds a steady 350°F for crisp onion batches and provides room to combine the finished pantry components.See current options →
Compare on AmazonPasta pot with colanderA fitted colander makes draining the macaroni and parcooked lentils fast and thorough, which protects the layered dish from excess water.See current options →
Compare on Amazon8-inch chef’s knifeA sharp all-purpose blade turns three onions into even thin slices that fry at the same rate instead of burning at the edges.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use gluten-free short pasta and cornstarch instead of flour for a gluten-free bowl; verify that every packaged ingredient is certified if cross-contact is a concern.
- Canned brown lentils can shorten the process. Drain and rinse 2 1/2 cups, reduce the rice water to 1 3/4 cups and fold the lentils into the rice for only the final 5 minutes of steaming.
- For a less spicy version, omit the cayenne and red pepper flakes. The cumin, coriander, garlic and vinegar still keep the sauces vivid.
Cook notes
- The ingredient list looks long because koshari is a composed meal, but most components use inexpensive shelf-stable staples and can cook in parallel.
- Onions darken after leaving the oil. Lift each batch when it is a shade lighter than your target and keep the oil near 350°F between batches.
- The licensed photograph visibly shows rice, lentils, short pasta, chickpeas, tomato sauce, chile and crisp onions; the assembly directions reproduce those defining layers and broad-platter presentation.
Storage
Refrigerate the lentil rice, pasta, chickpea-tomato sauce and garlic-vinegar sauce in separate airtight containers within 2 hours for up to 4 days. Keep onions at room temperature in a sealed container for 1 day or refrigerate for 3 days. Reheat moist components to 165°F; re-crisp onions on a sheet pan at 350°F for 5 to 8 minutes. Freeze the tomato sauce for up to 3 months, but not the pasta or onions.
Questions
Can I make Egyptian koshari without frying the onions?
You can toss the floured onions with 2 tablespoons oil and bake at 400°F for 25 to 35 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes. They will be lighter and a little less uniformly crisp, but still provide useful contrast.
Why did my lentil rice turn mushy?
The lentils were cooked too far before steaming or were not drained well. Stop their first cook while they are still firm at the center, rinse the rice thoroughly, measure the final water exactly and rest the pot off heat before fluffing.
What is the best order for assembling koshari?
Start with lentil rice, then add pasta, chickpeas, tomato sauce and finally crisp onions. This keeps the starches distinct, prevents the onions from softening too soon and matches the layered appearance of the finished platter.
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Egyptian Koshari with Crispy Onions & Garlic-Vinegar Sauce
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1. Coat and separate the onionsToss the sliced onions with the flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then shake off the excess in a colander. Separate the strands well; clumps steam instead of crisp.
2. Fry the onion crownHeat the neutral oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-high to 350°F. Fry the onions in three batches for 5 to 7 minutes each, stirring often, until deep golden. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper-towel-lined tray and season lightly. They crisp as they cool. Reserve 2 tablespoons onion oil and cool the rest before discarding or straining for another savory use.
3. Parcook the lentilsPut the lentils in a saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes until barely tender but still holding their shape. Drain thoroughly; they will finish with the rice.
4. Steam the lentil riceReturn the saucepan to medium heat with the reserved 2 tablespoons onion oil. Stir in the rice, drained lentils, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt for 1 minute. Add the remaining 1 cup water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and rest covered for 10 minutes, then fluff.
5. Simmer the tomato sauceMeanwhile heat the olive oil in another saucepan over medium. Cook 3 cloves garlic, the coriander, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin and red pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes until thick enough to mound on a spoon; season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
6. Make the garlic-vinegar daqqaCombine the remaining 2 minced garlic cloves, remaining vinegar, 1/4 cup water and optional cayenne in a small saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes, then cool slightly. The sauce should taste sharp and garlicky; serve it separately so diners can season their own bowls.
7. Cook the pasta and warm the chickpeasBoil the macaroni in well-salted water until just tender according to the package directions. Drain thoroughly. Fold the chickpeas into the hot tomato sauce for 3 minutes, or warm them separately if you want the platter's distinct layers to remain visible.
8. Layer the koshari platterSpread the lentil rice across a broad warm platter. Add the macaroni, spoon the chickpeas and tomato sauce over the top, then cover generously with crisp onions. Finish with scallions and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Pass extra tomato sauce and garlic-vinegar daqqa at the table.